Top 10: McLaughlin-Levrone’s KY Sports Figure Award repeat bid falls just short
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becoming the first winner of the Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year Award for NBA accomplishments was not the only history made in the 2025 voting.
For the first time in the 45 years of the award — which is decided based on the votes of sports media members from around the commonwealth — the majority of the top-10 finishers, six, came from women’s sports.
Here are the top-10 finishers in voting for the 2025 Lexington Herald-Leader Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year Award:
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Did you know: Last year, the former Kentucky Wildcats and current Oklahoma City Thunder star guard joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan (four times) and Shaquille O’Neal as the only NBA players to win in the same season the league scoring title, the MVP award and the finals MVP honor while playing for the championship-winning team.
What the voters said: “If there was one more award SGA could have won in the NBA, they would have given it — no check that — he would have earned it, too.” — Keith Farmer, WLEX-TV
“Never the loudest name in his Kentucky class, just the quietest worker. One steady climb later, he didn’t just reach the NBA summit — he claimed it.” — John Huang, Nolan Media Group
Sports Figure factoid: After his one-and-done season at UK, Gilgeous-Alexander finished 27th in the 2018 Sports Figure of the Year voting.
2. Craig Skinner
Did you know: The Kentucky women’s volleyball coach has built the Wildcats into such a high-achieving program that the last time UK did not win outright or share the regular-season SEC championship was 2016.
What the voters said: “If you talk about a Kentucky Sports Figure of the Year, then that is Skinner. He has coached at Kentucky for 21 years and has made the NCAA Tournament 21 times. His teams have won nine straight SEC championships — something no other team on campus can match. He has won a national title (2020) and this 2025 team made a magical ride to the national title game. “ Larry Vaught, Vaughtsviews.com, YourSportsEdge.com
“(Skinner is) one of the most underrated coaches in UK Athletics history. What he has done for the UK volleyball programs deserves way more attention and credit.” — Wyatt Huff, SI.com
Sports Figure factoid: Previously, the highest finish in the voting by a volleyball coach had been fourth by then-UK coach Kathy DeBoer in 1987.
3. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Did you know: The former UK track and field star switched events in 2025 from the 400 meter hurdles to the flat 400 meter run and won the World Championships in her new event in the second-fastest time (47.78) run by a female in recorded history.
What the voters said: “Not only did she switch disciplines (400m hurdles to 400m flat), she became the first woman to win a world title in both. ... That’s a great year by anyone’s standards.” Steve Moss, WKYT-TV
“Simply one of the fastest women of all time. Makes it look so easy.” — Lachlan McLean, Spectrum News 1, Louisville
Sports Figure factoid: McLaughlin-Levrone has now finished in the top four of the voting four times since 2021, including winning in 2024.
4. Will Smith
Did you know: In addition to hitting the 11th-inning home run that gave the Los Angeles Dodgers their winning margin in Game 7 of their 2025 World Series victory over Toronto, Smith, a former standout at Kentucky Country Day and the University of Louisville, set a new World Series record by catching 73 innings during a Fall Classic that included 18- and 11-inning games.
What the voters said: “(Smith) hit the game-winning homer in extras of Game 7 of the World Series — it’s what every baseball player dreams of as a kid. Also, had a great season as a whole as an All-Star starter.” — Nick Curran, Louisville Bats, U of L women’s basketball radio play-by-play announcer
“As a long-time Blue Jays fan this one hurts, but Smith was huge on the biggest stage.” — Michael Compton, Bowling Green Daily News
Sports Figure factoid: Smith finished 12th (2020) and 20th (2024) in the voting after the previous Dodgers’ World Series wins in which he played.
5. ZaKiyah Johnson
Did you know: In 2025, the former Sacred Heart Academy girls basketball star completed the most decorated high school hoops career in state history by winning her fourth-straight state title, fourth-straight State Tournament MVP and fourth-straight Gatorade Kentucky Player of the Year awards.
What the voters said: “Johnson reigns as the greatest Kentucky girls high school basketball player of all time. She’s the measuring stick for all who came before and yet will be.” — Jared Peck, Lexington Herald-Leader
“ZaKiyah should win this award for her senior season at SHA, but her career numbers are beyond impressive, as well.” — Louis Rabaut, WHBE-AM 680, Louisville
Sports Figure factoid: Johnson’s fifth-place finish is the second-best ever for a girls high school basketball player. Whitney Creech, the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school hoops, female or male, finished third in 2016.
6. Eva Hudson
Did you know: While leading Kentucky women’s volleyball to the NCAA Championship Match, the transfer from Purdue recorded 547 kills, eclipsing the previous UK single-season record held by Leah Edmond (539 in 2017).
What the voters said: “Transferring in (to Kentucky) from Purdue, Hudson, UK’s lone senior, took the country by storm averaging 4.97 points (a set), 4.59 kills, 2.35 digs and a 31.9% hit percentage.” — Connor Sturgill, WDKY-TV
“Hudson’s one year in Lexington will go down in the record books. The Purdue transfer was clearly the missing piece the ‘Cats needed in what turned out to be a miraculous run to the National Championship game.” — Sam Gormley, WKHG-FM 105.1, WMTL-FM 103.9, Leitchfield
Sports Figure factoid: Hudson is the third UK volleyball player to finish in the Top 10 since 2019, joining Leah Edmond (10th in 2019) and Madison Lilley (fourth in 2021).
7. Kenny Brooks
Did you know: The 23 wins Brooks put up while leading Kentucky women’s basketball (23-8) to the 2025 NCAA Tournament round of 32 are the second most to Terry Hall’s 25 victories (25-6) in 1980-81 by a first-year UK coach.
What the voters said: “Kenny Brooks arrived at UK and immediately rejuvenated women’s basketball. The future looks bright with him in charge.” — Christy Cassady, formerly of the Lexington Herald-Leader
“Kenny stepped in at Kentucky and completely turned the program around in every category.” — Chrissy Banta, WHBE-AM 680, Louisville
Sports Figure factoid: Brooks is the third UK women’s basketball coach to finish in the Top 10, joining Mickie DeMoss (fourth in 2006) and Matthew Mitchell (sixth in 2010).
8. Dan Skirka
Did you know: When the Murray State baseball coach led the Racers (44-17) to the Men’s College World Series last season, MSU became only the fourth NCAA Tournament regional No. 4 seed to ever reach Omaha, joining Fresno State (2008), Stony Brook (2012) and Oral Roberts (2023).
What the voters said: “The Murray State coach made all of us pay attention to Racers baseball. That makes him number one for me.” – Doug Ormay, retired Bellarmine University men’s basketball radio play-by-play announcer
“Murray State’s run to Omaha and the College Baseball World Series will be a story told in southwestern Kentucky for decades to come. ... En route to stunning Ole Miss, Duke and fighting for their lives against Arkansas and UCLA, the Racers captured the country with their lunch-pail, blue-collar, baseball-or-die attitude. And that started at the top.” — Edward Marlowe, WKDZ-FM 96.5, Cadiz
Sports Figure factoid: Skirka is only the fourth college baseball coach to crack the top 10 in voting, joining John Cohen (third in 2006), Dan McDonnell (seventh in 2007) and Nick Mingione (fifth in 2017 and second in 2024).
9. Georgia Amoore
Did you know: The Kentucky women’s basketball point guard ended her college career (four years at Virginia Tech prior to her final season at UK) with 2,460 points and 869 assists. Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu are the only players in NCAA Division I women’s hoops history with career totals of more than 2,300 points and 800 assists.
What the voters said: “Georgia played just one season for the Wildcats but laid the foundation for UK’s future.” — Keith Taylor, KentuckyToday.com
“We had heard a little bit about her, but she was waaayyyy better than advertised once she got here.” —Vinny Hardy, Cats Talk Wednesday, Bleav In Kentucky podcasts
Sports Figure factoid: Amoore is the first UK women’s basketball player to crack the top 10 in voting since Rhyne Howard finished third in 2022.
10. Malachi Moreno
Did you know: In addition to leading Great Crossing High School to its first Boys Sweet 16 championship, the 7-foot Moreno became the first center to earn Kentucky Mr. Basketball honors since Paintsville’s J.R. VanHoose in 1998.
What the voters said: “Malachi Moreno had a fantastic year — Mr. Basketball, state champion, McDonald’s All-American, State Tournament MVP. Oh yeah, and he did a little thing called committing to his childhood dream school of the University of Kentucky after having the kind of career that, let’s be honest, gave him his pick of college essentially.” — Cole Parke, The Cats’ Pause
“Moreno dominated high school basketball in the state like few have, despite consistently being double- and triple-teamed.” — Peter Wilson, Georgetown News-Graphic
Sports Figure factoid: There have been boys high school basketball players in the top 10 in three-straight years — Travis Perry and Reed Sheppard (first and second, respectively, in 2023); Perry (third in 2024) and Moreno.
